Forest House
by AngelDevil
Summary: Max gets a gift from Logan, a book that will change their relationship permanently
1. Default Chapter

_Disclaimer- I am in no way affiliated with Marion Zimmer-Bradley_ _or the Mists Of Avalon series._

"I dunno..... it just doesn't seem like a genetically-engineered super soldier thing to do." Max looked at Logan amusedly. "Well, it's not a Logan Cale thing to fall for girls that raid his house in the middle of the night, but I did. Just read it, OK?" Logan looked over at Max who was smirking at him, but she just shrugged and walked out the door. Outside Logan's Apartment Max stared at the book as she absent-mindedly unlocked her bike and got on her motorcycle. The book seemed big and not particularly heavy, but Logan made her promise not to look at it until she got home so she stuck it into her backpack and turned on the bike. "Logan gets more and more confusing every time I see him" Max silently laughed to herself at her thought. What was the deal with this book? It's not like

one of the things Logan does, but then again everything has gotten weird since Manticore stuck that virus into me. Granted it's gone, but I guess Logan still sees me with it in my blood. I don't know what I'm going to do. But this book is going to be read and I'm going to be able to be with Logan if it kills me. Max was startled by the fact that she just got home, she found a parking space near the apartment and walked upstairs. Max walked into her apartment and threw her backpack beside the couch. "Hey girl,", Original Cindy barely looked up from the TV. "I'm gonna make some supper", Max bent into the fridge and realized all they had was leftovers from last night. "aiight, but I don't think we have much" Cindy said into the screen, "I'll just heat up the Chinese from last night.". Max went to stick the Chinese in the microwave when Cindy saw the package in her bag. "What's in the bag, sug'?", "Just something Logan gave to me, I'm not even sure what it is.","Well don't just stand there, open it up". Max flopped onto the couch and opened the bag. "The Forest House" Max said bluntly "Is that supposed to mean something to me, 'cause it don't.", I'm not sure, but I guess I'll read it, you know, 'cause Logan took the time to buy it for me..." "uhhhh huh"

_Shafts of golden light shone through the trees as the setting sun dropped below the cloud, outlining each new washed leaf in gold. The hair of the two girls who were making their way alone the forest path glowed with the same pale fire. Earlier the day there had been rain. The thick, uncleared forest that still covered much of the south of Britain lay damp and quiet, and a few low boughs still shook scattered drops like a blessing across the path. Eilan breathed deeply in the moist air, heavy with all the living scents of the woods and sweet as incense after the smoky atmosphere of her father's hall. In the Forest House, she had been told, they used sacred herbs to purify the air. Instinctively she straightened, trying to walk like one of the priestesses who dwelt there, lifting the basket of offering in her best imitation of their balanced grace. For a moment, then, her body moved with a rhythm both unfamiliar and completely natural, as if she had been trained to do this in some ancient past._

Max looked at the page curling her hair in her hand and looking at the page intently, although she didn't understand why Logan had given her the book, she was oddly entranced by the book and how far it seemed from her life. The only images she thought of when she thought of Forests were the ones that Manticore trained them in. Although this one seemed so much more beautiful and undisturbed by the blood and gunshots that she remembered. If she ever would see a forest, Max thought that it probably wouldn't be like this, this book is way pre-pulse and even before the pulse I doubt they had this sort of stuff. 

_The boy lay shaken and bleeding at the bottom of the boar pit, his hopes of rescue fading with the ebbing light. The pit where he lay was dank and foul, smelling of the dung of animals trapped there in the past. Sharp stakes were set into the bottom and sides of the pit; one of these stakes had pierced his shoulder-not a dangerous wound, he_ _judged, nor even particularly painful as yet, for the arm was still numb with the force of his fall. But still, slight though it was, it was likely to kill him_

This is weird, I wonder why Logan gave it to me, there must be something that reminded him of me, or of us, maybe it comes later, I suppose they're building up to it,. Most books do. Maybe I'm supposed to be like this boy.... Max read on and realized that the story was about a girl named Eilan and a boy named Gaius. Eilan lived in a small town and Gaius was a Roman soldier. Eilan wanted to become a priestess and Gaius never dreamed he'd end up anywhere near Eilan. Gaius is saved by Eilan and her friend Dieda and is taken into the care of her family, and although Rome is at war with her people, they fall in love.

_He touched Eilan's cheek, and it was like the petal of a flower. Gently he turned her face towards him. Her eyes were wide and wondering, her lips a little parted. He felt her start of surprise as he kissed her, but she did not pull away. Her lips were sweet, so sweet that he held her against him and kissed her again, and after a moment of resistance felt her mouth opening beneath his like a flower. Gaius fell into her sweetness. Dazed, every pulse pounding, it took him a moment to understand abruptly that what he felt for her was a holy thing. He realized that when he let her go he had plunged his fingers instead into the grass, and sat up, wiping his hands. 'We must not" she whispered. "My father would kill us both!" "It is true." He was surprised that he could speak so steadily. His senses were still awhirl, but he felt the warmth of certainty within him. Since that first moment when he saw her looking down into the pit where he had fallen, haloed in light, it seemed to him that this moment had been preordained. "It would shame us both, and there is no dishonor at all in what I feel for you. I love you, Eilan, as a man loves the woman that he would make his wife." "How can you?" she whispered, staring at the fire. "You are a stranger. You never even saw me until two weeks ago. Have you dreamed of me, too?" "I am more of a stranger than you know," he said grimly. "But I will prove my love to you-" He gathered his courage. "Now I will put my life in your hands. I am Roman, Eilan.........."_

Max smiled to herself, and turned the page.


	2. Dreams

**_Disclaimer- I am in no way affiliated with Marion Zimmer Bradley or the "Mists of Avalon" Series_**

  


_In the days following Gaius's departure the bright sun of Beltane hid behind weeping skies, as if the season had decided not to turn into summer after all. Eilan crept around the house like a ghost. Days passed and Gaius sent to word. Just before leaving for the Forest House Dieda has said that she should have given herself to Gaius. Would he be more or less likely to forget her if she had done so?_

Poor girl, she loves him and she can't speak to him because of so many things that get in the way. Wouldn't it suck to be her, but then again, it isn't that much better with me and Logan, except we can talk, but we don't.

_At last a day came when her father sent for her. He was sitting beside a hearth in the feasting hall- only ashes now, for though the sky was gray and clouded, it was warm enough not to need fire. An odd mix of anger and amusement softened his usual sternness. "Eilan" he said gently, "I feel I should let you know this' an offer has been made for your hand."_

_Gaius, she thought. My doubts wronged him!_

_"But of course it was one I could not entertain. How much do you know about this young man who called himself Gawen?"_

_"What do you mean?" Surely he could hear the rapid beating of her heart._

_"Did he tell you his true name?Did he tell you that his father is Macellius Severus, prefect of the camp at Deva?"_

_She saw the anger now beneath Bendeigid's gentleness, and fought to still her trembling' but she nodded._

She's in trouble, like her father is going to let her marry Gaius, it's almost like asking a father to give his daughter to a murderer.

_"Then at least he did not deceive you." Her father sighed, "But you must put him far from your thoughts, Daughter. You are not yet of full age to marry-"_

_She raised her head to protest. Why had she not considered that her own father was far more likely to refuse permission than Gaius to deny his love? _

_"I can wait," she whispered, not daring to raise her eyes....... She said in a strangled voice, "Another man less honorable might have dealt with me that you would have been grateful to be rid of me."_

_Black anger suffused her father's face and for the first time in memory she feared him. He jerked her towards him, and struck her-though not hard-across the mouth.........._

Ouch, Max said to herself as she saved her place and went to bed. When she opened her eyes she was on a soft bed on the side of a wall and there was light filtering through the windows. A girl came up to her and led her to a hall where she recognized the characters from The Forest House, and she sat down with a confused look on her face. "You should not look so vexed, it will bring my father to start conversation." Max looked over to a girl with very light hair and looked not older than 15."Where am I?", Max asked the girl, "You had a hard fall on the road from Deva, I am Eilan, and this is my home, you are in good hands, we have another guest here, if you should like to speak, his name is Gawen, and he is beside the hearth. This is Dieda, the man at the front of the table is Ardanos, my grandfather, the druid beside him is Bendeigid, my father, there is Rheis beside him, my mother and many other of my relatives that you will be introduced to, you should like to go beside the fire, it will warm you, you look cold." "Thanks, uh, my name is Max""Max, are from Briton?""Yes, from the south though, I am here for Beltane, some of my relatives live here." "Go now, we shall be eating soon."

Max walked over to the fire and went to Gaius. "Hello, and are you o this family also?", "Uh, actually I'm a visitor, my name is Max, and you're......""Gawen" the man smiled at her"What brings you here?""I'm not sure, I think I fell off of a horse or something, I can't remember" Max made up quickly, "Well, you'll remember soon enough." "Sure". _This has got to be a dream, I can't be here, this is what you get for reading for so long, just play along and you'll be fine._

"Have you met any other of this family?" Max asked, "A few, but Eilan has been helping me heal, she has sat beside me for the past week or so."Gaius looked over at Eilan, and she smiled and waved, then turned back to Dieda to talk"I've only met you and Eilan" Max said as a plate of food was set before her. "Are you to be wed to anyone?" Gawen looked over at Max,"I have met a man, yes, but our situation is....... complicated" Max said with a bit of nervousness "How so?", "Our relationship is in a way, untouchable, we cannot be together." _I'm getting OK at this old speech thing._"I'm sure that you love him, though," Gawen said softly, there was a pause as Max thought about this, _I do love him, but does he love me? After this virus and everything that we've been through, I'm not sure, it doesn't matter if I tell this guy though, this is all a dream_. "I do." Max said slowly." Then you will be together, all you have to do is work at it, the next time you see him, tell him what you've said to me, and you will be together." _it isn't that simple, Max thought, but it is! I love him, and I know he loves me, so all I have to do is tell him that I do, and we will be together, it may be hard, but it's worth it, there's no more virus to keep us apart, so why should we have to be? We should be together, no, we HAVE to be together. If we can, then we should. There's nothing stopping us. _"Max?" Gawen looked over at her. "I will tell him, as soon as I see him again, I will tell him what you have told be to say.""Good, then you cannot fail."

  


  



	3. Omelette

  


Max woke up with sun beating down on her face and she recoiled into her covers "Light should be illegal so early in the morning" she grumbled as she walked into the kitchen stretching out like a cat "I don't know why I slept, I shouldn't be due for another couple days for such a massive sleep thing to be happening". Cindy walked into the room and waited for the coffee she started to steep "Mornin' Sunshine, you're up late, didn't those guys at manticore rev you up for the whole no sleep thing?"

"Yeah, guess I did something to myself during work or sumthin, I dreamed about that book, I was like a character in the book, it was weird." Max looked into the living room where the book lay on the couch "I'll bet it was" Original Cindy says as she poured some coffee into a mug and added some milk. "I don't know, it was like the characters were giving me advice and stuff, it really wasn't the type of dream I have, usually it's all about manticore and the other kids" Original Cindy looked over to Max "Obviously that book is bringing up an issue in your life, you gotta do somethin' about it" Cindy looked at Max as she got an apple from the fridge "I guess, I'm gonna go bike somewhere, to clear my head" "mmmmmmmhmmmm" Cindy was already in her room getting dressed. Max took her bag, got some clothes on, and walked out the door, "I can't believe that I got advice from some guy I read about in a book" Max thought to herself "This book must be getting to me", and then it occurred to her "I have to go see Logan"

  


Logan was frying an omelette for breakfast, when he heard the door open and Max walked in and sat on the table, she looked like she wanted to say something, but she always did, so Logan brushed it off as nothing "Max, I didn't expect to see you here, do you want an omelette? I'll give you this one and I'll make another one, it'll take two seconds"

"Uhhhhhhhh..... sure"

"ok, I'll go get some more eggs from the fridge"

_I should just get this over with, they're just three words, if I can say it to some Roman in my dream, I can say it to someone I've known for much longer than one dream, they're just three words._

"Max, do you want mushrooms or green peppers in your omelette? Max? Max?"

Max looked up at Logan, "I...... uhhhhhhhhh....." Max laughed nervously and curled her hair in her finger "I love you"

It took Logan a minute to hear it, but he realized what she said.

"I love you too."

  


  


  


  


  


  


  


  



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